In the operation of crawler type vehicles, the noise level emitted from the rotating track is often objectionable. This is particularly true where such vehicles are used in construction adjacent an apartment complex, office building, or other locations where a large number of people could be disturbed by the noise.
This noise is emitted from driving forces being subjected onto the track and from impacts by objects on the track. One of the principal sites of noise emission is from the shoes of the track. Sound waves readily travel outwardly from the relatively broad surfaces of the shoes. Further, the shoes are of a configuration which sometimes reaches resonance frequency which functions to increase the objectionable noise.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
According to the present invention, the shoe assembly has a shoe and a cover plate generally covering one surface of the shoe. The shoe and cover plate each have respective first and second end portions and a middle portion. A seat is provided on the middle portion of one of the cover plate and shoe. The seat is of a configuration sufficient for mating with the middle portion of the other of said cover plate shoe with viscoelastic material positioned between the first and second end portions of the shoe and cover plate.